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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

5.98 miles

I said I was only going to ride five miles today and I only rode five miles ... give or take a mile. I won’t lie and say I’ve never felt better, but it went about as well as expected. The weather was terrible but I didn't care. These things just don't matter.

I made the odd choice of riding my snow bike. Of all my bikes, that one required the least maintenance to be road ready. Plus, I reasoned, anything that forced me to ride slower was probably a good thing. But deep down, I knew that it was about time my snow bike, "Snaux Bike," and I made amends. Snaux Bike and I have a typical relationship. He hurts me, and I neglect him, but still, I feel like we could have a bright future together if we only we could work through our differences.

We rode out toward Douglas because the road dead-ends there exactly 2.5 miles from my house. Even if I felt great, I knew there wouldn’t be any temptation to ride further once I hit end of the road. Twelve minutes later, I was at Sandy Beach, watching the tide come in as an evenly-spaced line of cruise ships puttered toward the harbor. And I thought ... since I had Snaux bike with me anyway ... and extra half mile or so across the sand wouldn’t be all that bad of an idea. A little beach riding never killed anyone.

It was 45 degrees with steady rain and a 25 mph south wind. The ride was showered in road goo and bogged down in wet sand. But look how happy I seem. I bet I was having a better time than at least 1,847 of the 2,808 passengers on the Sun Princess. It was only 11 a.m., so at least half that number were nursing hangovers. (The other half were probably trying to choose between the Eggs Benedict and Apricot Crepes, and I don't envy indecision, either.)

Anyway, I hope the weather is bad again tomorrow because I plan to go swimming and only swimming. I also have a doctor's appointment, where I expect to be told to give up on the cycling dream. Then I hope to ride eight miles on Friday. When I am ambling down the road at 12 mph, it feels like the quiet moments before a sonic boom. I can’t wait.

Jill, We're taking a Celebrity cruise there in a few weeks. I enjoy your commentary on the passengers and on your enjoyment of the outdoors. I also get valuable clues what to expect from the weather and how to dress. I love your blog! Jim

Looks like it's time for a story! Once upon a time, in a decade far, far away, I got myself overtrained one long hot summer. Driving home from the state time trial championships I started running a fever. Two weeks and may sleepless nights and doctor visits later I was finally diagnosed with mononucleosis and mild hepatitis and sent directly to the hospital for a week-long stay. For the next year, maybe a few months longer, I would get on the bike and try to resume training every time I felt good. It would go well for a few days, maybe a week, and then I'd catch something and start running a fever again - over and over. I started to think I would never get better and at times it was a really frightening thought. The doctor said everything was OK -- repeatedly. I'd take two weeks off, feel fine, get back on the bike and a week later I'd be in bed again. Finally one day I said to myself "this is either going to kill you or not, so you might as well ride." I started riding every day, but very easily. I had long ago given up hope of actually getting in shape, so with that sense of urgency gone I started a routine of easy rides with complete disregard for how I happened to be feeling that day. Some felt too easy; some too hard, but eventually things started to turn around. A year and a half later I finally started to feel normal again. Two years later I was racing better than ever.

Wonder what those on deck thought....trying to make out "that figure" on the shore...

Man: Is that a person w/ a bike ?Woman: In this weather ?!? nooooMan: Sure, they're used to it hereWoman: Ohhh, surely not in this weather !!!Man: Look dear...it's 45 degrees with steady rain and a 25 mph south wind....THEY ARE USED TO IT.

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